Are you ready for a first aid emergency?

Based on St John Ambulance Victoria’s expertise and review of the Safe Work Australia’s First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice (the Code), St John has developed a simple '5 steps to first aid readiness' initiative.

The initiative has been developed in response to national research released in late 2012 which revealed 87% of Australian businesses are not first-aid ready. The five steps are designed to quickly determine their level of first aid readiness and include:

R - undertaking a first aid ready assessment
E - ensuring that each business has a correct trained first aider ratio and appropriate training options
A - accessible and visible first aid equipment through signage, kits and provision of first aid rooms and defibrillators
D - drills and first aid procedures which are appropriate to business needs
Y - you and your unique business needs through sector and industry assessments

By taking the first aid ready assessment, businesses can identify gaps in their first aid needs, and ensure they make the necessary changes in order to achieve best practice in first aid.

Theron Vassiliou, Deputy CEO of St John Ambulance Victoria, said educating business decision-makers about the hidden first aid risks they face will better enable them to put simple solutions in place to manage first aid emergencies that happen everyday.

“Our research has found that many businesses may not fully understand what is required in order to make their business first aid ready,” Vassiliou said.

“First aid requirements are subtly different for every business - from the sector they operate in, to the number of staff they have. Victorian businesses, including their employees and their customers, may therefore be at risk without knowing it. The ‘5 steps to first aid readiness’ initiative is crucial to protecting employers, employees and customers alike.

“First aid readiness is not just about having people trained in first aid. It’s about how all the components of first aid work together to make a workplace safe: enough people trained, accessible and visible equipment, clear signage and procedures, and putting those in practice with first aid drills.”